Is there a comprehensive example of play out there somewhere to help a noob put a framework around the ginormous rulebook? I'm an ASL player, but was spoiled by all the material available online and opponents available when I was learning.

Also, is there a list somewhere of rules not needed if you're only going to play the Europe portion of the game?

Be a bit careful because the older the report or guide, the more likely that there have been rule changes. The rules are stable now (no changes for over a year), but the older stuff is sometimes out of date.

The "European Scenario" is what you want if you are not playing the Pacific. Look here on the right-hand column under "Scenarios":

There is a computer-assisted version of the game called Warplanner. You can either play the game on the computer, or else you can just examine the files of the games that others have played in order to get a feel for the flow of the game.

Also, is there a list somewhere of rules not needed if you're only going to play the Europe portion of the game?

Scenario Summary. It includes a list of which rules and which player aids are needed for each scenario. (After playing any learning scenarios that you wish to play, go with the "Historical European Theater Scenario," which will allow you to skip the diplomacy and research rules, and maybe even the ship building rules if I'm remembering correctly.)

Also, I believe Bruce Harper, the designer, is polishing a simplified learning set of the rules. If you ask over in the Yahoo Groups discussion forum, you'll be directed in the right direction.